Refractive Error

A refractive error is a common vision problem that occurs when the shape of the eye prevents light from focusing correctly on the retina at the back of the eye, producing blurred vision.

Alongside disturbances in your vision, living with a refractive error may cause eye strain and tension, headaches and fatigue, causing you to need to take regular breaks when performing eye straining activities such as working at a computer.

What Causes A Refractive Error?

Refractive errors occur when there is some kind of disturbance preventing light pass ing naturally into the eye and focusing correctly on an area at the back of our eye called our retina. As the retina is responsible for sending the electrical signals to the brain that then translates into the images we see in our vision, if the light cannot be focused correctly, our vision will be impaired. Common causes our optometrists see include:

● The eyeball itself being too long or too short, making it difficult for light to pass accurately onto your retina

● Problems with the shape of the cornea (the clear outer layer of the eye)

● Natural ageing and degeneration of the lens of the eye (a layer of your inner eye that is normally clear and helps the eye to focus light onto the retina)

The result of refractive errors include:

● Farsightedness: seeing distant objects more clearly than nearby objects. Medically known as hyperopia, this refractive error occurs when the eyeball is too short, or the cornea is not curved enough. This causes light to focus behind the retina instead of directly on it, resulting in blurry vision when looking at nearby objects.
● Nearsightedness: medically known as myopia, this is when a person can see objects up close clearly, but has difficulty seeing objects in the distance. Myopia occurs when the eye is too long or the cornea is too curved. This causes light to focus in front of the retina instead of on it, making distant objects appear blurry. Myopia can also be caused by an irregularly shaped lens.
● Amblyopia: often referred to as having a lazy eye, amblyopia occurs when the brain and the eye are not working together effectively, causing one eye to become weaker than the other. The most common cause of amblyopia is strabismus, a condition in which the eyes are misaligned and point in different directions.
● Presbyopia: a refractive error that affects a person's ability to see close-up objects clearly. It is a normal part of the ageing process and typically begins to occur around the age of 40. Presbyopia occurs when the lens in the eye becomes less flexible and is unable to focus on close-up objects. As a result, people with presbyopia may experience blurred vision when reading, using a computer or performing other close-up activities.
● Astigmatism: this is where the eye is unable to focus light evenly on the retina, resulting in blurred or distorted vision. Unlike myopia or hyperopia, which are caused by an irregularly shaped eyeball, astigmatism is caused by an irregularly shaped cornea or an irregularly shaped lens within the eye.

Refractive Error Assessment

As refractive errors are important to identify, diagnose and manage, our eye care professionals check for refractive errors at every regular eye exam, including those that are bulk billed for those eligible with Medicare.

Book your eye test at our Victoria and South Australia clinics today by selecting your preferred location here.